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Heat-Hornets Preview

Dec 30, 2009 - 6:02 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Miami (16-12) at New Orleans (13-15), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Miami Heat weren't playing much defense to open December. It's been a much different story in the second half of the month.

The Heat look to win their season-high fourth in a row Wednesday night when they face the New Orleans Hornets for the final time this season.

Miami (16-12) lost four of six to open the month, allowing 108.0 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting. An embarrassing 28-point home loss to Memphis on Dec. 13 gave the Heat a chance to reassess their defensive priorities.

Since that defeat, Miami has won five of six and is holding opponents to 86.7 points per game on 41.6 percent from the field.

"Defense has been the biggest change since the Memphis game, and just our overall approach and effort to the game and commitment to each other," Dwyane Wade said after the Heat held Indiana to 30.7 percent shooting in Sunday's 114-80 victory - Miami's most-lopsided win of the season. "It's been there ever since our team meeting."

Miami, which is allowing an average of 79.0 points during its winning streak, will try to hold four straight opponents to fewer than 90 for the first time since Feb. 28-March 7, 2007.

The Heat, though, could face a stiff challenge in slowing down the Hornets' inside-outside combination of Chris Paul and David West. Paul posted his 11th career triple-double and first of the season with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists and West scored a career-high 44 points with 12 boards in Tuesday's 108-100 loss at Houston.

New Orleans (13-16), however, fell to 2-13 on the road.

"We're trying to pick up wins, especially out on the road," West said after hitting 18 of 30 from the field. "We got the rhythm that we wanted, but we just weren't able to sustain it."

The Hornets return home where they have won nine of 10. Those victories, however, have been by an average of 4.0 points.

New Orleans has won four straight at home over Miami by an average of 16.7 points. The Heat are looking to win three in a row on the road for the first time since Feb. 28-March 21, 2007.

In its last visit to New Orleans Arena, Miami lost 100-89 on Nov. 8 of last season. Paul and West scored 21 points apiece in that matchup, while Wade had 30 and 10 assists.

Wade, among the league leaders at 26.8 points per game, is averaging 31.0 points in his last three versus New Orleans.

He scored 31 points and Udonis Haslem banked in a jumper with 15.4 seconds left as Miami defeated the visiting Hornets 102-101 on Nov. 22 to snap a four-game slide to New Orleans.

Rookie guard Marcus Thornton, a second-round pick by the Heat, scored a season-high 24 in that matchup while West added 13 points and nine rebounds.

Paul, who was sidelined with a sprained left ankle in last month's loss in Miami, is averaging 18.1 points and 10.6 assists in eight career games against the Heat.

Miami hasn't won four straight since Dec. 19-26 of last season.